A total of 26 people have been arrested on suspicion of drugs-related offences across Middlesbrough and a further 17 suspected of being in possession of drugs have been stopped and searched.

The arrests are part of a drugs crackdown in the borough carried out by Cleveland Police last month.

Image source, Cleveland Police

Dutch airline KLM says "low demand" is the reason behind the suspension of the Teesside to Schipol route.

It's been suspended from 10 October until 11 February because of low take-up for the peak winter season route, which ran from Teesside three times a day before the pandemic.

A spokesperson for Teesside International Airport said the temporary pause of the Amsterdam route was the "right thing to do".

Image source, Reuters

Flights from the airport to London Heathrow were launched two weeks ago

Rotherham United sign Newcastle United midfielder Dan Barlaser for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.

BBC Newcastle

The co-founder of a Singaporean-backed firm, Bellagraph Nova says they are "aggressively" trying to close a deal for Newcastle United, but observers remain sceptical.

One of the firm's co-founders Evangeline Shen told the BBC her team is in regular contact with the Premier League club and met Mike Ashley's representatives last week.

They put forward a £280m offer after a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium pulled out of theirs in August.

An independent cinema on North Tyneside has been awarded a share of government funding aimed at helping such venues weather the pandemic.

The Jam Jar cinema in Whitley Bay is to receive £5,000 from the Cultural Recovery Fund.

It is the first wave of emergency funding aimed at helping dozens of independent cinemas.

Image source, Google

Its chairman, Dan Ellis, said: “We know how important we are to the town, how much we matter to local residents, businesses, the night-time economy and the visitors to Whitley Bay.

"With [this support] it may not be our usual tagline ‘Cinema As It Should Be’ but instead ‘Cinema As Safe As It Can Be’.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "I urge everyone to get booking your seats and support your local cinema."

Behaviour at the city bar was "a serious and imminent threat to public health", council bosses say.

E-scooters should be legalised on roads but riding on pavements should be prohibited, the Transport Committee of MPs has said.

Currently, privately-owned e-scooters are banned for use in the UK anywhere except on private land.

The committee argues the vehicles, which usually travel 9-15 mph, could offer a green alternative to the car.

Official trials of rented e-scooters are being carried out on Teesside, Milton Keynes Borough, Northamptonshire, and the West Midlands.

Image source, Getty Images

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Durham have urged the government to extend the free school meals programme, saying some families could be destitute by Christmas.

Archbishop Justin Welby and Bishop Paul Butler have called on the Government to provide free school meals to every child whose family is on universal credit, and expand holiday provision to all children on free school meals.

They say that according to food bank charity the Trussell Trust, 46,000 food parcels will need to be provided by their network to people in crisis between October and December 2020 - an increase of 61% on last year.

They estimate an additional 670,000 people will be destitute by the end of the year, a prediction Archbishop Justin and Bishop Paul describe as "harrowing".

Daniel Holland
Local Democracy Reporter

A bar on Newcastle’s Diamond Strip has been warned it could be shut down, after “raucous” scenes that posed a major Covid-19 risk.

Footage has emerged of an event at Perdu, on Collingwood Street which Newcastle City Council said was “a serious and imminent threat to public health”.

It has been issued with a notice ordering it to comply with public safety conditions or risk closure, steep fines and prosecution.

Council bosses said the Skull Kandi event at Perdu last weekend was “raucous” with social media footage showing customers too close together and "little social distancing, people being allowed to stand while drinking and shouting, and free movement around the premises”.

Perdu has been approached for comment.

Image source, Google

The Shipwrecked Mariners' Society charity has announced the winners of its annual photography competition.

The competition received more than 2,000 entries this year from both amateur and professional photographers, who set out to capture the essence of Britain's long maritime heritage, with its merchant ships, fishermen, coasts, ports and harbours.

Caroline Walker's picture, Heugh Breakwater, was taken in Hartlepool and won the Coastal Views category.

Image source, CAROLINE WALKER

BBC Weather

After a chilly start in places, there will be a few bright or sunny intervals for a time today.

However, clouds will gradually thicken, bringing the chance of a few showers.

It will turn breezier too and temperatures will reach a high of about 13C (55F).

You can follow the latest forecast by searching for where you live here

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Bellagraph Nova says it's still pursuing the Premier League club despite recent criticism.

Holders Manchester City face Arsenal in the quarter-final of the EFL Cup.

Andy Preston says new restrictions for Middlesbrough and Hartlepool will "destroy viable jobs".

Stricter measures will be introduced in Liverpool, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.

Our live updates have finished here for the day but this feed will continue to be updated with any breaking news and sport stories as well as travel updates.

You can also stay up to date on BBC Radio Newcastle, BBC Radio Tees and Look North.

We'll be back with more live updates from 08:00 tomorrow and hope you can join us then.

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Redcar and Cleveland council says the authority has not asked for further Covid-19 restrictions, at the moment.

Deputy leader Karen King issued a statement following news that stricter measures are to be imposed in neighbouring Middlesbrough and in Hartlepool.

She said: “Our infection rate is currently well below those in other areas of the North East but it has risen sharply over the past fortnight and we are monitoring this on a daily basis."

Image source, Rredcar and Cleveland Lib Dems

The more people who follow the rules, the quicker Hartlepool and Middlesbrough can get back to normal, Matt Hancock has said.

He told the Commons: "I understand how much of an imposition this is. I want rules like this to stay in place for as short a time as possible, I'm sure we all do.

"The study published today shows us hope that together we can crack this and the more people follow the rules and reduce their social contact, the quicker we can get Liverpool and the North East back on their feet."

Image source, Getty Images

Listen to BBC local radio commentary of games in the National League and FA Cup second-round qualifying.